What action should be performed prior to the placement of dental sealants?

Before placing dental sealants, conducting a caries risk assessment is essential. This assessment helps determine the likelihood of a patient developing cavities based on various factors such as oral hygiene habits, dietary choices, and past dental history. By understanding an individual's caries risk, the dental professional can make informed decisions about the need for sealants and tailor preventative strategies accordingly.

It’s important to identify which teeth are at higher risk for caries, as sealants are most beneficial for teeth that are more prone to decay. This targeted approach ensures that sealants are applied where they can provide the greatest benefit, helping to prevent the development of carious lesions, especially in children and adolescents whose molars have deep grooves and pits that are difficult to clean effectively.

Other options, such as tooth whitening, oral cancer screening, and scaling and root planing, do not pertain directly to the preventative nature of sealants nor do they aid in the decision-making process for their placement. These actions serve different purposes in dental care and do not contribute to the specific goal of applying sealants effectively.